Chamber of Commerce committee members help select specific Modules

With an eye to the future, Brownwood, Texas and business leaders have taken an active role in education, supporting efforts to prepare students for careers within the community.

When a Pitsco Education Career Portals Lab was set up at Brownwood Middle School in 2009, the Module topics were selected in part for their matches with skills required in Brownwood businesses and industries.

Former Brownwood Chamber of Commerce Chairman of the Board Ann Jones helped form the Brown County Education Workforce Solutions Committee, which includes representatives from all seven county school districts; Howard Payne University; Ranger College; the City of Brownwood; and several other education entities, businesses, and industries.

“The purpose of the committee is to graduate Brown County ISD students who are college or workforce ready through excellent educational and career opportunities,” Jones said.

Brownwood ISD Community Relations Coordinator Emily Crawford was a member of the Chamber of Commerce staff when the committee was formed.  “What many smaller communities are facing is the younger demographic is graduating and leaving not coming back,” she said.  “What we are seeing in Brownwood is a trend of our young people going to college, living in a larger city, working for five or 10 years, and then coming back to Brownwood.”

Through the committee’s efforts, it’s hoped that the younger people will stay put and deepen their roots if they can receive an education (secondary and postsecondary) that prepares them for employment in the community.

Brownwood ISD Superintendent Reece Blincoe spearheaded the effort to implement the Pitsco careers lab at the middle school.  He was confident it would fit into the career exposure plan put forth by the Chamber of Commerce education committee.

“I was working with the Chamber committee, and I asked them to help me pick some of the Modules that we were going to put in here.  The community knows best; they really do,” Blincoe said.  “And we had such key people on the industry and workforce committee.  We tried to put in Modules that fit our community, but we also looked at the math and science as well.  We want to make sure we’re always working on those skills.”

Saying that the Module topics in the careers lab cover “a lot of what’s in our town,” Blincoe went on to note that he’d like to add a Robotics module to the lab because students enjoy that topic, and it matches up with skills and processes used at several businesses in the community.

Examples of the specific Module-business connections are Plastics & Polymers and Light & Lasers (3M reflective material) and Alternative Energy (Barr Fabrication, manufacturer of wind turbine parts).

Jones said that feedback from the Chamber members who have toured the careers lab has focused as much on the benefits of soft skills as on the work skills learned.

“The lab teaches critical thinking, problem solving, and teamwork skills that are most often lacking in many employees,” Jones said.  “When (the committee) toured the center, business leaders immediately related to career portals that suited their business, and several saw opportunities to enhance the students’ learning experience.”

To learn more about Pitsco Education Modules, visit http://systems.pitsco.com/. To learn more about the Brownwood Chamber of Commerce education committee, visit http://brownwoodchamber.org/.

Top Photo: Taran Cardenas works on extracting DNA from a peach in the Forensic Science Module.

Middle Photo: Delaney Bennett works at the CNC Manufacturing Module.

Bottom Photo: Brandon Garcia shows off a golf tee that he made at the Plastics & Polymers Module.

Photos by Ray Tipton.

Brownwood Middle School Career Lab Modules with related careers include:

Climate & Biomes: Climatologists; Meteorologists; TV Weather Persons; Oceanographers; Ecologists; Mathematicians; Science Technicians; Pilots; and Research Ship Captains and Crew.

CNC Manufacturing: Mechanical Engineers; Computer-Aided Design Technicians; Robotics Technicians; Machinists and Tool Programmers; Draftsmen; Metalworking and Plastic-Working Machine Operators; and Engineering Technicians.

Confident Consumer: Purchasers and Buyers; Family and Consumer Sciences Teachers; Cost Estimators; Restaurant and Food Service Managers; Dietitians and Nutritionists; food and Beverage Service Workers.

Dynamic Earth: Geologists; Volcanologists; Geology and Geography Teachers; Cartographers; Meteorologists; Oceanographers; Structural Engineers; and Geological Engineers.

Forensic Science: Criminal Investigators; Chemists; Biologists;  Chemical Engineers; Fire Inspectors; Emergency Medical Technicians; General Practitioners; Epidemiologists; Insurance Investigators; and Claims Examiners.

Genetics: Physicians; Chemists; Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians; Science Technicians; Computer Programmers; Agricultural Scientists; and Biological and Medical Scientists.

Light & Lasers: Obstetricians; Physicists; Astronomers; Photographers; and Photographic Process Workers.

Microbiology: Science Technicians; Secondary School Teachers; Chemists; Engineering Technicians; Plant and Systems Operators; and Animal Caretakers.

Music & Sound: Musicians; Music Teachers; Broadcast Technicians; Acoustics Engineers; and Composers.

Package Design: Designers; Visual Artists; Drafters; Marketing and Advertising Managers; and Architects.

Plastics & Polymers: Chemists; Chemical Engineers; Materials Engineers; Plastic-Working Machine Operators; Science Teachers; and Technology Teachers.

Video Production: Video Editors; Video Producers; Video Directors; Lighting Engineers; Actors; Videographers; Makeup Artists; and Costume Designers.

Weather: Meteorologists; Weather Forecasters; Television Weather Anchorpersons; Educators; and Flight Controllers.

Weights & Measures: Science Technicians; Secondary School Teachers; Chemists; Engineering Technicians; Plant and Systems Operator; and Animal Caretakers.